In Bed With Her Shithead Boss (By Ellie Wynters) novel Chapter 388

A silence fell and Amelia shot a glance at Niko, who looked equally uncomfortable.

"Maria," Alexei warned, his voice carrying a dangerous edge.

"I'm simply curious," Maria continued with false innocence. "After all, royal relationships are so... public. So scrutinized. I imagine it takes a certain type of woman to handle that pressure."

Amelia held her breath as Keira set down her wine glass and met Maria's gaze directly. She could see the fire in Keira's eyes.

"You're right. It does take a certain type of woman. The type who doesn't feel threatened by other women's viper tongues and snide remarks."

Amelia nearly choked on her wine, hastily covering her mouth to suppress a laugh. Across the table, she saw Niko's eyes widen fractionally, his equivalent of open-mouthed shock.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," Maria replied, but her flushed cheeks told a different story.

"Don't you?" Keira tilted her head with deceptive sweetness. "Because it seems like you have some very specific opinions about what type of woman belongs here. I'm curious about your qualifications to make that determination."

Theodore's quiet "Ladies" cut through the tension before the exchange could escalate further. But Amelia caught the almost imperceptible twitch at the corner of his mouth that suggested he wasn't entirely displeased with Keira's spirited defense.

As they finished dessert, Amelia leaned toward Keira. "Remind me never to get on your bad side," she whispered, unable to hide her admiration.

"She started it," Keira whispered back.

"And you finished it beautifully. Theodore looks almost impressed, which, trust me, is saying something."

When Theodore dismissed them to the garden while summoning Niko and Alexei to his study, Amelia was secretly relieved to leave Maria behind. She needed fresh air and a chance to speak with Keira alone.

"God, I needed that," she breathed once they were outside, linking her arm through Keira's. "Formal dinners with Theodore can be suffocating even on good days." It really wasn't that bad, but she wanted to put Keira at ease.

They strolled through the palace gardens, their conversation growing more relaxed with each step away from the palace walls. Amelia found herself being more candid than she'd intended, especially when the topic turned to Maria.

"Can I ask you something?" she ventured, glancing sideways at Keira. "What did you think of Maria?"

"I think she has strong opinions about who belongs in your family," Keira replied carefully. "I think her opinion about me is stronger."

"That's diplomatic." Amelia stopped walking, turning to face the younger woman fully. "I'll be blunt since we're going to be sisters soon enough. I can't stand her."

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